Why I'm losing my love for Louisville (St. Matthews, Fairdale: lawyers, utilities)

[veggienut]

1. The weather here is terrible.

2. Allergies here are awful.

3. There's just not enough to do.

4. Our cost of living to wage ratio is poor.

5. Public transportation and infrastructure are disappointing here.

In some cities, you have to worry about rain. I don't mean a little rain, but buckets of rain during the middle of the afternoon. Other places, you'd have to worry about the heavy snows they get which is worse than here. We don't get that bad of snow yearly and it has snowed on Derby day way back when.

We are in the Valley, and that is the reason for allergies. Other places have their issues of health too.

We have plenty to do here, just on a smaller scale. The cost is cheaper here than in the larger cites for entertainment. You would spend big bucks to see a play in NYC and here it is a lot, lot less. Food is cheaper here than in other large cities, like eating out in restaurants or the groceries.

The cost of living varies wherever you go. If you get paid a larger amount of salary in a larger city, your living costs would be more so it would even out. Living costs are a lot cheaper here than in other cities. Even our sales tax is less than in other states too.

Our public transportation isn't good, I agree. We use to have a good bus transportation years ago, but no more. If your on a main street like Bardstown Road, the buses run more frequently.

As we say here in Louisville, if you don't like the weather, stick around. It'll change.

I agree with you

P.S. I may be one of the few people here that enjoys these hot temps we're having

[NeedsABeach]

Originally Posted by Cattknap

A foot of snow is such a small amount of snow for an entire winter. I just don't get the complaint. When it does snow, it melts off within a couple of days. This is not my interpretation of a lot of snow. If you have ever lived where there is lots of snow, it is absolutely comical to hear anyone complain about "all the snow" in Louisville!

Yes, and I'm sure people in Ecuador think it's absolutely comical to see people in Florida complain about their hot temperatures and humidity. It doesn't mean that florida isn't hot... . My point isn't that Kentucky gets more snow than the "snowy states" like Michigan, New York, and South Dakota. I lived in Michigan before moving to Kentucky as a kid, and I've seen plenty of snow - and yes, I still think that Kentucky has a significant amount of snow (and even more so, ice). I'm only arguing that it's hard to find anything nice to say about Kentucky's weather as a whole and that our variable weather makes it difficult to plan activities outdoor. As Veggienut pointed out, it's snowed on Derby before and it seems that even within the past couple years I've seen Oaks/Derby days in the low 40s.

Regarding cost of living, the point that I was making was that our COL ratio is poor. Veggienut is right that you'd get paid more in cities like Chicago or Boston and the COL would be higher. I'm pointing out that compared to other major cities in the vicinity, that ratio is skewed against us. Our cost of housing is higher than many larger/wealthier cities where the average salary is higher.

Anyway, I'd still take KY over South Dakota any day . Just think our city is way behind many cities of comparable size. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Visvaldis]

MissingIndiana,
Things to do in Louisville? Quite a few activities, but very few that are interesting. Too much is wholesome and squeaky clean so that the average, decent Louisvillian doesn't blow a gasket. The art is clean, the music wholesome, and the theater is .....?
I prefer foreign movies, so that is one activity I do less in Louisville, other than rent DVDs.
Local media, in any location, usually is a good indicator of what the locals prefer. Since years I ignore Louisville's media and listen to streaming radio stations online.

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by Visvaldis

MissingIndiana,
Things to do in Louisville? Quite a few activities, but very few that are interesting. Too much is wholesome and squeaky clean so that the average, decent Louisvillian doesn't blow a gasket. The art is clean, the music wholesome, and the theater is .....?
I prefer foreign movies, so that is one activity I do less in Louisville, other than rent DVDs.
Local media, in any location, usually is a good indicator of what the locals prefer. Since years I ignore Louisville's media and listen to streaming radio stations online.

If you like less than wholesome, you should drive down 7th St, haha

I don't really care for the local media either for the most part.

[Cattknap]

Kentucky has one of the cheapest cost of living statistics in the United States. You may earn more money some place else, but the cost of living will very probably be higher. Actually, this 2011 United Chamber of Commerce Report states that Kentucky has the lowest cost of living in the nation (page 22).

http://www.uschamber.com/sites/defau...ll-doc-web.pdf

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Cattknap

Kentucky has one of the cheapest cost of living statistics in the United States. You may earn more money some place else, but the cost of living will very probably be higher. Actually, this 2011 United Chamber of Commerce Report states that Kentucky has the lowest cost of living in the nation (page 22).

http://www.uschamber.com/sites/defau...ll-doc-web.pdf

The low costs benefit those with higher educational attainment in the metro areas of the state. The low cost of living does no good in many rural areas of the state that have completely underfunded educational systems, underdevelopment, and other such problems. Until the core issues are fixed in many areas of the state, the low cost of living will mean absolutely nothing.
Also, with low costs many of those get externalized. Without much in the way of landuse or zoning regulations MTR has destroyed entire communities and regions of the state. With the pro coal lobby, one gets outmoded coal plants that are 50 years old that are still generating, and they support the status quo. In short, the brain drain will continue to other cities outside KY that are more forward thinking and welcome new people and ideas.

[gobucks86]

Everyone in Ohio, especially Cleveland, would LOVE to have the only 14 inches of snowfall Louisville see's a Winter

[orogenicman]

Originally Posted by NeedsABeach

Yes, and I'm sure people in Ecuador think it's absolutely comical to see people in Florida complain about their hot temperatures and humidity. It doesn't mean that florida isn't hot... . My point isn't that Kentucky gets more snow than the "snowy states" like Michigan, New York, and South Dakota. I lived in Michigan before moving to Kentucky as a kid, and I've seen plenty of snow - and yes, I still think that Kentucky has a significant amount of snow (and even more so, ice). I'm only arguing that it's hard to find anything nice to say about Kentucky's weather as a whole and that our variable weather makes it difficult to plan activities outdoor. As Veggienut pointed out, it's snowed on Derby before and it seems that even within the past couple years I've seen Oaks/Derby days in the low 40s.

Regarding cost of living, the point that I was making was that our COL ratio is poor. Veggienut is right that you'd get paid more in cities like Chicago or Boston and the COL would be higher. I'm pointing out that compared to other major cities in the vicinity, that ratio is skewed against us. Our cost of housing is higher than many larger/wealthier cities where the average salary is higher.

Anyway, I'd still take KY over South Dakota any day . Just think our city is way behind many cities of comparable size. Thanks for your thoughts.

Why is it harder for you to plan outdoor activities than it is for anyone else? All you have to do is do what us natives do - keep your eyes on the weather report.

[kytoaz]

i agree with just about all of your post. there is no way to debate the allergy effect of the ohio valley. it's the worst in the nation and it makes many, many of our residents feel bad on a daily basis.

as far as defending our weather, come on! i geuss if you're from manitoba or sascatchewan it feels awesome! you said it best for me-91 average days of sun. anyone who doubts this is a ridiculously low number, just compare us to other towns. do it right here on city-data. science has proven that lack of sunshine causes depression in a majority of people, and i see it in people every year.

soo in conclusion, are there worse places weather wise? yes. but are there better places where the sun shines and you actually want to go outside? i'd say a lot of em.

[Visvaldis]

Originally Posted by kytoaz

i agree with just about all of your post. there is no way to debate the allergy effect of the ohio valley. it's the worst in the nation and it makes many, many of our residents feel bad on a daily basis.

as far as defending our weather, come on! i geuss if you're from manitoba or sascatchewan it feels awesome! you said it best for me-91 average days of sun. anyone who doubts this is a ridiculously low number, just compare us to other towns. do it right here on city-data. science has proven that lack of sunshine causes depression in a majority of people, and i see it in people every year.

soo in conclusion, are there worse places weather wise? yes. but are there better places where the sun shines and you actually want to go outside? i'd say a lot of em.

It sure would be nice if those days of sun were from November thru April, instead of June thru September.
Someone mentioned to keep your eyes on the weather report. Somewhere in mid-June I don't because it's depressing to know that the temperatures will be in the upper 90s for the next 7 days, then the next 7 days after that, and the next 7 days after that, and so on.